Which Liquid Test Kits Are Most Accurate?

[Jasonanatal]

Which Liquid Test Kits Are Most Accurate?

 

 

 

Well I must confess that with over 2 years in the hobby and great equipment from reputable manufacturers such as Tunze and Precision Marine I regret to inform everyone that I was tempted by the low prices of the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Liquid Test Kits. (Yes I know sham on me). Well it almost 2008 and I've stepped up almost every other aspect of my Reef Keeping Hobby and now it time to do so again. My question is this. Despite the price which liquid test kit for various chemicals such as Calcium, Magnesium, phosphates, etc do you consider the most efficient and the most accurate? I've been considering such liquid test kits from LaMotte and Elos but would love to get everyone elses thoughts on this matter.

[StevieT]

API should be on that list.... lots here use them with great results

 

Red Sea should be on there too, just for laughs

[Jasonanatal]

API should be on that list.... lots here use them with great results

 

Red Sea should be on there too, just for laughs

 

StevieT, thats the funniest statement I've heard in a long time.

[StevieT]

StevieT, thats the funniest statement I've heard in a long time.

 

I aim to please

[MrAnderson]

and um... how are people going to determine accuracy? poorly worded poll question.

 

unless people have a qc'ed or lab-made reference that they weighed out and mixed themselves, nobody can answer that question.

[beeker]

i just got my Elo's CA and MG test, and i have to say these are the nicest/easiest test for MG and CA that i've ever used

 

i had the Salifert kits before but directions are confusing and the syringe is hard to read/pinpoint

 

the Elo's kits go by a color change and the amount of drops to change the color to ditect the MG and CA which to me is the easiest way to tell what my parameters are, except for when i forget to count the drops, lol

[ldballoon4]

let the corals determine how well your kit really does.

I would not use AP if you paid me.

 

Salifert is good, but im sure there are others out there that are not avail to the reefers, and prob cheaper.

[filefish949]

LaMotte are the most accurate, but they are expensive and a PITA to use. i have been using salifert for quite some time. I had some conserns about accuracy so I did a complete test and sent a sample to AWT for verification. turns out my alk was reading 1.5 dkh high but all the rest were just fine. i am also very impressed with the Elos, my opinion is that they are more accurate but not as precise as salifert I have a considerable investment in my salifert setup and probably will not be switching brands as it would be a lot of work

 

[Cuervo420]

hye ldballoon4, you might benefit many others by either shortening that tank thread of a signature, or better yet just posting all that crap in an actual tank thread. just a thought.

 

personally i like digi's when i can, but have used salifert, api, seachem and although not liquid...i've been using the powder ones made the instant ocean guys for more than 10 years with good results.

[ldballoon4]

yeah i looks to big!!

sorry guys will fix er up!

[lgreen]

Sweet. So no one actually has any real evidence that one test kit is better than another? I see lots of opinion.

 

No offense to the op, but I'd like to see threads like these removed from viewing since the information they contain is really of no help besides telling people what everyone believes is the best test kit, with no real info to back it up.

[Scott Riemer]

API's been just fine for me. May not be the most accurate, but, so far, I see no evidence in here that says anything else is more accurate than another.

[Rcpilot]

It's true that no matter how much we "feel" our test kits are accurate --there is no way to know for sure.

 

It would be nice if test kits came with a calibration liquid. A way to test the actual accuracy.

 

I hate the color charts. They are so subjective. I much prefer the tests where you look for a definitive color change from say blue to pink or from purple to green by using drops from a syringe.

 

I have been using Salifert for Iodide, Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium.

 

I'm using API for pH, nitrite, ammonia, nitrate and phosphate.

 

Are they accurate? Who knows. After all the BS about bad batch numbers with Salifert Alkalinity tests--who the hell knows how any of then would read if ya tested sewer water?

 

I just look at my tank. Looks good. Test pH and Alk about once a week to be sure. Be happy.

[elaak]

While any of these test kits may be inaccurate by some margin I feel like salifert has the highest resolution (out of the kits that I have used) and since it uses titration color change it is less subjective than the wait and compare tests. I have used Red Sea, Api, and Salifert to test Ca and Alk at the same time and I got the same results for all tests but it might have been biased since after the first test I knew what I was looking for.

[The Propagator]

and um... how are people going to determine accuracy? poorly worded poll question. unless people have a qc'ed or lab-made reference that they weighed out and mixed themselves, nobody can answer that question.

Then some one with proper digital testing equipment such as Pinpoint, Neptune, Hanna ( not the el' cheapo versions), Aqua controllers, Aqudyne etc etc... would be the proper person to test this out.I propose that each person wishing to know true results of said liquid test kits send one of each reagent from each liquid test kit to the member or members of this board who have the afore mentioned equipment.As long as said person or persons calibrated their equipment properly we should have some fairly accurate results.

let the corals determine how well your kit really does.I would not use AP if you paid me.Salifert is good, but im sure there are others out there that are not avail to the reefers, and prob cheaper.

Said the man with immanent doom hovering over his tank :(By the time your corals "tell you" its probably to late.

[lgreen]

Nah, not good enough. We need a chemist who can run some serious analytical equipment to test for accuracy.

 

Based on some testing done by a local chemist here I can already tell you that the red sea Mg test kit is more accurate than the Salifert Mg kit (Salifert kit was off by over 300ppm).

 

Where's suppernipples?

[MrAnderson]

actually, all you would "need" would be a verified reference sample.

 

For example, take the Seachem refernce sample, get it verified by someone with the proper equipment as being 425ppm, then use various test kits to test it.

 

Or, even take a sample of freshly mixed water, done in as aseptically a manner as possible and have someone with the equipment verify the Ca levels. Then once you know for sure how much is in there, test with the various kits.

 

All you need is a positive control that you are sure of.

[clifford513]

All you need is a positive control that you are sure of.

I depend on a sophisticated palate. One able to detect discrepancies in gravity and losses of important trace minerals. For some reason, the neighbor's cat keeps getting sick. Anyhoo, I voted other.

[The Propagator]

[clifford513]

Hey! You still have that Test Kit hanging around attacking your ankles

[elaak]

How about making control solutions with known amounts of compounds/elements and testing the tests kits on those. The only problem I can see is some test kits may be made for artificial seawater specifically. Electronic monitoring for some of the most important parameters (Ca, Mg, Alk, NO3, ect) using aquarium grade equipment is even more unreliable (based on what I have read but I am not sure).

[TheChosenReefer]

I use API just got it for 2 reason didn't want to spend alot and I need a test kit today LFS is closed.

[theclearblue]

Filefish,

 

Did you build the pelican case test kit setup or did that come pre-packaged?